A decision to implement a 2% bump to tuition at the Université de Moncton quickly received criticism from the student federation.
Following a Board of Governors Meeting Saturday, the university announced it would increase the cost of tuition despite an estimated $1.2 million budget surplus for the 2022-2023 fiscal year.
In a release, UdeM stated while the financial outlook is better than expected, challenges persist for the institution.
“We need short-term investments to update our student services, our technological infrastructure and our buildings,” said Dr. Denis Prud’homme, President and Vice-Chancellor.
“Although we have seen an increase in enrolment over the past few years, the New Brunswick government grant is still below inflation and in the current economic climate, we must be vigilant.”
Students services at all three university campuses are slated to see improvements through this budget, which includes new scholarships, and enhanced psychology and technology services.
Shortly after the announcement, the federation representing Universite de Moncton students denounced the tuition increase.
Once again, students and families will suffer the consequences of chronic underfunding for post-secondary education in the province, said president Jean-Sébastien Léger.
The federation stated tuition fees for Canadian students will increase by $150 to $7,642, and fees for international students rise by $275 to $14,005.
Léger said the university greatly overestimated deficits in the last two years and increased tuition by 8%, only finish with a combined $10 million surplus.
However, Léger did give credit to the university for its efforts through these funding challenges. Instead, he placed blame on the provincial government for not making the necessary effort to invest in post-secondary education.
